Good God Girl Get a Grip

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My boyfriend and I have recently become absolutely obsessed with Ru Paul's Drag Race, and consumed almost all the seasons, including the spin offs.

Thank Ru for Netflix, for bringing this into my life.

I could literally post about my favourite queens (Raja, Latrice, Tammie, Chad...) forever but Chad's gold look has caused me to start painting my forehead gold and spraying wigs gold. 

Here's a quick shot of an outfit that I've worn out a few times. I LOVE this jacket, and the bodysuit is my first Black Milk purchase.


Traje de Luces

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For a long time I've wanted to have a Torero (Matador/Toreador, whatever word you use - bullfighters) costume made.

I don't agree with the cruelty of bullfighting, however you must admit that the traje de luces ("suit of lights") are stunning works of fashion art. It's no wonder that the costumes have permeated high fashion (see above) for a long time.

 

The amazing John Galliano

Ruven Afanador's beautiful sexualised photographs of bullfighters

Well, I finally got the costume made, thanks to the wonderful Boom! Boom! Baby!

You might remember she made my half-bride half-groom costume for last halloween.

Although this bullfighter costume was made for halloween, I finally just got around to shooting some self portraits of it!

 

 

Wigs, And Where To Find Them

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To point out the obvious: I wear a lot of wigs. I own a lot of wigs. The count is in the late 20s now. 

So, I often get asked about wigs! I had previously written a guide on wigs (including how to shop on eBay) and a guide on how to style wigs, but that was back in 2011, and since then wigs have become incredibly popular. As Chinese wholesalers are becoming easier to contact, small independent sellers have cropped up all over the place, and fun wigs are cheaper and easier to come across!

Here's a little list of some retailers that I recommend.

Ebay



Since I last wrote about shopping on eBay for wigs, there are now even more sellers. Good and bad, as you have even more junk and fancy dress plastic to wade through, but there are some hidden gems if you keep at it, and use the tips I've previously mentioned. 

 

Lockshop

I haven't actually ordered from Lockshop yet, but I have to say I am severely tempted by her wonderful new lace-front wigs. I've not actually used lace front wigs before, but the benefit is that the wig blends more seamlessly into your hairline. 

I'm also seduced by the good product photography and the fact that the owner, Chokelate is a multi-talented beauty. She also makes some amazing tights!

 

Geisha Wigs 

Geisha Wigs are a small team (originally just starting with one lady, I believe) based in the UK, who have built a devout following. I've purchased a few wigs from them, and all have been wonderful quality and very affordable. 

The wig I wore above is their Starlet wig. 

 

Rockstar Wigs

Rockstar Wigs, also part of Gothic Lolita Wigs (they basically sell the same things under different brands) is another popular wig website. I had previously bought a split white and red wig from them, and I can't say the quality was particularly fantastic, but I'd be willing to try again! I love this Dynamite wig, and the fact that they often shoot their designs on drag queens.

 

Minty Mix

I've mentioned Minty Mix before, having bought a similar wig to the above. It's one of my favourite wigs! The quality is amazing, so I'd definitely recommend their work.

 

Etsy - Kekeshop 

I haven't tried any wigs from this shop, but they look great, and particularly well styled! You wouldn't need to do much with these wigs, hence the higher prices.

 

Etsy - NYCWigs

These wigs look SO amazing! I love pretty much all of them. Although I would like to see what the non lace front versions look like, as the lace front adds £50 or so more onto the price.

 

Etsy - Sweet Hayseed

I've been following lusting over Sweet Hayseed's work for quite a few years, they truly are works of art. One day, my pretty, one day.

2013 Through The Lens

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I put together a yearly review of my work for 2012 at the beginning of this year, so it's time for one of 2013!

As previously mentioned, I haven't really taken on much photography work this year (due to DJing and producing events), so my portfolio is a little slimmer than last year. However, I've still shot a lot of lookbooks and worked with some wonderful characters!

I just had to take some time to shoot the absolutely beautiful Janet Fischietto (top left), a burlesque star from Italy, when she came over to London earlier in the year. I also had the pleasure of once again working with the lovely Vicky Butterfly (bottom right) to photograph her alongside her huge new faberge egg prop, and a quick snap (top right) from a shoot for The Black Cat Cabaret's poster.

I've worked with Miss Miranda countless times this year, and plan to continue next year - she's one of my best friends, it's always a pleasure to work with her and I love her lots! One of the shoots I worked on with her this year was a double-shoot with Swedish beauty Elegy Ellem, with outfits made by Fabulously Fetish!

 

This year I shot 3 lookbooks for my day job at Playful Promises, including the swimwear (with an amazing model, Mulan - Top Left) and the lingerie (with Miss Miranda - Bottom Right - and a model called Petra). Makeup was mostly by Cheyenne Raymond and the wonderful hair on Mulan was by Doubravka Marcinkova. I also shot 3 lookbooks for our sister clothing brand, Whistle & Wolf.

We also shot some of our pieces on a size 14/36D model called Ally (Top Right) in a quirky location. For Halloween I also put together a fun little shoot with SINderella Rockafella (Bottom Left) - she's an incredibly talented model and lovely person, I hope to work with her again soon!

 

I haven't had much time to shoot many self portraits this year, despite having lots of outfits to wear! I'll have to remedy this this year. I did manage to shoot a Marlene Dietrich homage and photograph my beautiful custom made headpiece from Reinka.

 

And I have more yet to show!!

I've got 4 sets of images that I'm keeping somewhat under wraps, some of them awaiting publication. These are the previews I can show you.

Top Left - Miss Miranda's spicy new costume, Top Right - Playful Promises AW14 (which I shot and edited in 3 days, boom!) with Miss Miranda and a model called Emma, Bottom Left - Miss Miranda for Sinical Magazine, Bottom Right - A lookbook shoot for Orchid Corsetry.

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I have a little wishlist of people I'd like to work with in 2014, and I already have a few shoots planned out! Hopefully once I settle into my new workload I will have some time to work on creative projects and such. I'd like to experiment a little more (rather than just getting the shots that I need), and I'm considering shooting some sets for Zivity. We shall see!

What kind of work would you like to see me do in 2014?

What is your favourite photoshoot from me this year?